Chapter Eleven: Paths Diverge, Interests Clash Section Seventeen: The Dance of the Flying Apsaras (Part I)

Bu Jingxian had once considered that if pushed to the brink, he would order his troops to attack Wei. Even if they failed to capture a city, trading several lives for one Wei soldier would drain the enemy’s combat strength while alleviating the burden on his own forces. However, this was a last resort.

"My Lord, I have heard that a wealthy merchant in the frontier city of Wei was once a devotee of the Divine Soul Will. I wish to visit him; if we can secure his support, we could resolve our immediate crisis."

Bu Jingxian pondered for a moment before saying, "You remain here. I shall go myself."

The merchant mentioned by Zhao Ji was named Chen Shui, though he insisted on being addressed as "Master Shui." He was quite famous in Wei. Ten years ago, he had been a penniless seeker of the Divine Soul Will, starving and destitute. Later, his life was saved by the owner of a Wei pharmacy. He abandoned his pursuit of the Divine Soul, went to work at the pharmacy, and married the owner’s beloved daughter.

Within three years, under Chen Shui’s management, the pharmacy expanded across Wei, with dozens of branches in Yan, Zheng, and Chu. He eventually branched into banking, becoming a merchant of immense wealth whose name was known throughout the imperial court and the common folk alike.

The frontier city lay south of Kailai City, now only two hundred li from the front lines of the Zheng-Wei conflict. In eight months of war, the Zheng army had captured 383 major cities in Wei. With the weather turning cold, Wei had finally managed to check the Zheng advance over the past two months, leading to a stalemate.

Bu Jingxian had long been interested in this wealthy Chen Shui. If the man still held to the philosophy of the Divine Soul, he was confident he could persuade him. The situation in Wei provided favorable conditions; having lost five million square kilometers of territory, the court was in turmoil and the public morale was unstable. Since the frontier city was close to the front, if the Wei army were defeated, it would inevitably be affected. Whether the city would remain part of Wei was uncertain, so it was no surprise that many were considering their exit strategies.

Of course, for most, the best choice was to defect to Zheng. While the insurgent army was formidable, anyone with a modicum of insight would not compare them to Zheng. Bu Jingxian’s true reliance was the State of Zhou behind him.

He rode toward the frontier city alone. Along the way, he saw many wandering knights and martial practitioners from the Jianyue Sect. Spotting a tea stall by the road, and with the air cold and his horse in need of rest, Bu Jingxian handed his mount to the waiter for fodder and sat down for tea. Clad in a white fur robe with the silver scabbard of his Seven-Star Longyuan sword at his side, he stood out among the seven or eight tables of martial artists.

Habitually, Bu Jingxian used his "Divine Eye" to assess the combat strength of the other patrons. After scanning several tables, he found no one of note, until he noticed a female diner sitting nearby whose combat strength was shockingly high.

Physical: 500. Internal Energy: 3000. Spirit: 10. Soul: 1. Total Combat Strength: 7000. Intrigued by her absolute power, he took a few more looks. She appeared to be an innocent-looking girl of fifteen or sixteen, with delicate features, wearing a plain round cap that hid her hair beneath a blue cotton robe. She carried no visible weapons, but a pink floral umbrella rested by her side.

He knew little of the world’s masters and could not immediately identify her. He observed her for a while, but she remained as if oblivious, sipping tea and eating a steamed bun.

Bu Jingxian ordered ten pounds of cooked beef. When he had two pounds left, two groups of people came rushing down the road from afar.

The three in the lead wore hemp clothing stained with blood, their long blades drawn and gripped tightly. Behind them, a group of over twenty men, all with swords in hand, were in hot pursuit. Four men at the tea stall stood up and drew their weapons to block the path.

As the three fugitives charged forward, they shouted and swung their blades. In the ensuing clash, the four blockers were injured, but they managed to stall the trio long enough for the pursuers to catch up and surround them.

One of the blockers then asked, "Brother Wang, what have these three done to be pursued by the Jianyue Sect?"

A man among the twenty pursuers sheathed his sword and replied, "Many thanks for your help, Brother Chen. These three are scum of the martial world! Being from Wei, they were bought off by Zheng to spy on our military camp today. There were eight of them; five were killed, and these three fled for over ten li. If not for your assistance, we might still be chasing them. I shall report this truthfully; General Zhao will surely reward you handsomely!"

The four blockers retreated to the perimeter to tend to their wounds. "You are too kind, Brother Wang."

The man from the Jianyue Sect said, "Not at all, not at all." He turned to the surrounded trio. "Be sensible and drop your weapons, or don’t blame our Jianyue Sect for being merciless!"

"Spare your breath! You government lackeys, we don’t fear you no matter how many come!"

As they spoke, the three surrounded men struck first. Bu Jingxian knew that while their individual combat strength was higher than the Jianyue disciples, they were outnumbered and could not fight their way out.

After watching for a while, he realized the trio’s blade techniques were exquisite, but they were limited by their internal cultivation. Their physical and internal reserves were finite, and their moves were too taxing to sustain.

After half an hour of fighting, six Jianyue disciples had been wounded. The three fugitives, realizing they had no path to survival, began fighting to the death, clearly intent on taking others down with them. Just as a Jianyue disciple was about to fall under a blade, a teacup flew from before Bu Jingxian’s face, striking the blade mid-swing. The powerful internal energy forced the weapon from the attacker’s hand.

The combatants stopped in their tracks and turned to look at the girl beside Bu Jingxian.

A Jianyue disciple cried out, "It’s Senior Sister Wu Fei!"

Bu Jingxian was suddenly enlightened. So, this young-looking girl with astonishing internal energy was the one known as "Flying Sword Dance," Wu Fei, who had claimed a spot among the Top Ten Masters at the first Divine Martial Tournament!

The three surrounded men paled upon hearing her name.

Wu Fei rose slowly, picked up her pink floral umbrella, and with a slight movement of her feet, soared thirty feet into the air.

A moment later, she descended like a meteor. The opened umbrella flew ahead, striking the three men. Their internal energy was far inferior to hers, and as they blocked the umbrella, the force sent them stumbling backward. The surrounding Jianyue disciples did not intervene, fearing it would tarnish Wu Fei’s reputation to be seen ganging up on three nobodies.

Wu Fei followed the umbrella, drawing a slender, gleaming sword from an unseen sheath within the handle. As she landed, her sword flashed, and pink sword-qi erupted in every direction. In an instant, she slashed the arms and legs of the three men, who had yet to regain their footing.

The sword-qi moved with such speed that the cuts were nearly simultaneous. Blood sprayed outward, blooming like red flowers. By the time Wu Fei landed and caught her umbrella, the sword was already back in its sheath.

Only then did the three men fall to the ground. Severely wounded in their limbs, they were unable to resist as the Jianyue disciples tied them up.

"Many thanks for your help, Senior Sister Wu Fei."

The other patrons in the tea stall were all eyeing Wu Fei, shocked that someone of her stature could look so young.

"A mere trifle," Wu Fei said, cupping her hands in a salute. She picked up her umbrella, sat back down, and resumed eating her half-finished bun.

The Jianyue disciples, with their prisoners in tow, bowed to her and took their leave.

They had only gone a few steps when a magnificent horse thundered down the road, reaching the stall in an instant. The rider leaped from the saddle, blade drawn in a flash, cutting down three Jianyue disciples and severing the ropes binding the prisoners before anyone could blink.

"Who goes there! How dare you aid these high-level criminals of Wei!"

The Jianyue disciples drew their swords.

The newcomer knelt to check the injured prisoners, shaking his head. "I am late." He stood up, utterly disregarding the surrounding disciples, and curled his lip in a sneer. "As long as Wei Wuquan, Sect Leader of the Jianyue Sect's Huashan Branch, does not come to die, you are all enemies of Li Yijian!"

Bu Jingxian had recognized him immediately; only Li Yijian’s sword speed could be so swift.

Even the patrons had heard of the skills Li Yijian displayed at the Divine Martial Tournament and were filled with awe and suspicion. Those uninvolved felt lucky to see both the famous Wu Fei and this young master whose sword was rumored to be fast as lightning, a man even the Huashan branch leader dared not face.

They all secretly wondered if Wu Fei would be forced to fight Li Yijian, and who would prevail.

The Jianyue disciples, knowing who he was and realizing they were no match, turned their eyes to Wu Fei. Li Yijian noticed this and turned his attention to the girl, who was just popping the last piece of her bun into her mouth.

"Who are you? If you are not a disciple of the Jianyue Sect, stay out of this. I, Li Yijian, do not like killing the innocent, but anyone who helps the Jianyue Sect is complicit in their evil!"

A disciple shouted, "Insolent! She is Senior Sister Wu Fei, one of the Top Ten Masters of the first Divine Martial Tournament!"

Li Yijian replied with indifference, "Even Wei Wuquan is no match for my sword. Wu Fei’s skills back then were surely inferior to his."

"How dare you! Sect Leader Wei belongs to the Huashan Branch; how can you compare our strength to his? Senior Sister Wu Fei was only fourteen when she participated in the tournament! I doubt the Sect Leader’s talent can even compare to hers!"

The disciple spoke with great pride, clearly a member of the Hengshan Branch. This revealed that the relationship between the branches was not harmonious; a Hengshan disciple clearly held the Huashan leader in low regard.

Li Yijian laughed. "In that case... she is indeed more capable than Wei Wuquan. I don't know the internal affairs of your sect, but as long as Wei Wuquan lives, I treat the Jianyue Sect as my enemy. Even if you are a young girl, if you dare to intervene today, I, Li Yijian, will show no mercy!"

Wu Fei finally swallowed her bun, took a sip of hot tea, and stood up, picking up her umbrella.

"Sect Leader Wei’s actions have nothing to do with the Hengshan Branch. If you seek revenge, Young Master Li, please go find someone from the Huashan Branch. Today, my branch is under orders to capture fugitives. If you are not an accomplice, please do not interfere." Her voice was soft, neither arrogant nor fearful.

"Unfortunately, the Marquis of Xin from Zheng is a friend of mine. I am here to save them."

"In that case, Wu Fei shall seek your guidance."

(To be continued)